Starting at the  Ken Wilcox horse camp and going north on Tronsen Ridge for 4.5 or so miles, Paul and I saw 94 species of flowers in bloom (list below, thanks Paul!). The road only has a few deepish potholes, but it has about .5 mile of fairly large embedded and loose rocks (photo 4 will give you an idea). Driven with care, Paul's Prius had no trouble; many people wouldn't be comfortable driving their sedans. It would take a rougher vehicle to drive the additional 1.5 miles to the start of the trail. We saw many species walking this road that we didn't see on the trail, including a lewisia (three-leaf bitterroot), an evening primrose, a speedwell, and others. The Tweedy's is fading, but we saw quite a lot (photo 2), fields of yellow penstemon, thick areas of western clematis (photo 1), fields of lupine and sitka valerian (and a few spots of the beautiful Wenatchee valerian), thick areas of showy Jacob's ladder, a few thick patches of prairie smoke (some blooming, some beautifully in seed, photo 3), and more. The open areas had many buckwheats, scarlet gilia, larkspur, daisies, bitterroot, and many butterflies of many species. If you go to west of point 5260',  100 feet towards the rock outcropping, you'll find a field of Columbia Lewisia.

FLOWERING PLANTS IN BLOOM (94 species)

white (35)

Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis)

Wenatchee valerian (Valeriana columbiana)

Virginia / blueleaf strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa) — white, pink, and violet flowers

common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

thread-leaved / mountain sandwort (Arenaria capillaris)

large-leaf sandwort (Arenaria / Moehringia macrophylla)

wax currant (Ribes cereum)

sticky currant (Ribes viscosissimum)

roundleaf alumroot (Heuchera cylindrica)

three-toothed mitrewort (Mitella trifida)

Cascade mountain-ash (Sorbus scopulina)

red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)

arrowleaf buckwheat (Eriogonum compositum)

parsnip-flower buckwheat (Eriogonum heracleoides)

field chickweed (Cerastium arvense)

snowbrush ceanothus (Ceanothus velutinus)

raceme pussytoes (Antennaria racemosa)

cushion / low pussytoes  (Antennaria dimorpha)

alpine pussytoes (Antennaria alpina)

Lyall’s mariposa lily (Calochortus lyallii)

prairie-star, species uncertain (Lithophragma sp.)

balloon-pod milk-vetch (Astragalus whitneyi)

western serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

western saxifrage (Micranthes occidentalis)

lance-leaved spring-beauty (Claytonia lanceolata) 

heart-leaf spring-beauty (Claytonia cordifolia)

alpine pennycress (Noccaea fendleri)

long-stalked clover (Trifolium longipes)

three-leaf bitter-root (Lewisia triphylla)

pinemat manzanita (Arctostaphylos nevadensis)

silver-leaf phacelia (Phacelia hastata)

bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata)

plumed / large false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum)

Scouler’s popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys scouleri)

yellow (29)

straight-beak buttercup (Ranunculus orthorhynchus)

tall western groundsel (Senecio integerrimus)

yellow penstemon (Penstemon confertus

panicled death-camas (Toxicoscordion/Zigadenus paniculatus)

mountain arnica (Arnica latifolia)

heart-leaf arnica (Arnica cordifolia)

sticky cinquefoil (Potentilla glandulosa)

arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata)

wallflower, probably sand-dwelling (Erysimum, probably arenicola)

Douglas’s buckwheat (Eriogonum douglasii)

cushion buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium)

western sweet cicely (Osmorhiza occidentalis)

nine-leaf desert-parsley / biscuitroot (Lomatium triternatum)

bare-stem desert-parsley / biscuitroot (Lomatium nudicaule)

desert-parsley / biscuitroot, probably butterfly-bearing

(Lomatium, probably papilioniferum)

bracted lousewort (Pedicularis bracteosa)

tall silvercrown (Luina/Cacaliopsis nardosmia)

hawksbeard, species uncertain (Crepis sp.)

desert yellow parsley (Erigeron linearis)

Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum)

agoseris, maybe spear-leaf (Agoseris, maybe retrorsa)

pioneer / streamside violet (Viola glabella)

twinberry (Lonicera involucrata)

alpine mousetail / Gordon’s ivesia (Potentilla gordonii)

glacier lily (Erythronium grandflorum)

long-leaf evening-primrose (Taraxia subacaulis)

antelope brush / bitter-brush (Purshia tridentata)

alpine / Washington twinpod (Physaria alpestris)

alyssum, desert or small (Alyssum desertorum or alyssoides)

bluish: blue to violet to blue-purple (14)

Jacob’s ladder, showy or low (Polemonium pulcherrimum or californicum)

lupine, broadleaf or bigleaf (Lupinus latifolius or polyphyllus)

lupine, maybe spurred (Lupinus , maybe arbustus)

subalpine daisy (Erigeron glacialis)

western clematis (Clematis occidentalis)

shrubby penstemon (Penstemon fruticosus)

Chelan penstemon (Penstemon pruinosus)

upland / common larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)

meadow forget-me-not / blue stickseed (Hackelia micrantha / jessicae)

small-flowered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora)

speedwell, species uncertain (Veronica sp.)

thread-leaf phacelia (Phacelia linearis)

early blue / hooked-spur violet (Viola adunca)

rockcress, probably slender / sicklepod (Boechera, probably sparsiflora)

reddish: pink to red to red-purple (13)

western meadow-rue (Thalictrum occidentale)

scarlet paintbrush (Castilleja miniata)

dock, maybe curly (Rumex, maybe crispus)

old man’s whiskers / prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)

Oregon boxwood (Paxistima myrsinites)

red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)

grouseberry (Vaccinium scoparium)

bitter-root (Lewisia rediviva)

Columbia lewisia (Lewisia columbiana)

scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata)

common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

red clover (Trifolium pratense)

slender / midget phlox (Microsteris gracilis)

orange (2)

Tweedy’s lewisia (Lewisia tweedyi)

orange agoseris (Agoseris aurantiaca)

green (1)

Thompson’s paintbrush (Castilleja thompsonii)

BIRDS

American Robin

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Townsend’s Warbler

Mountain Bluebird

Western Tanager

Hermit Thrush

Swainson’s Thrush

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Dark-eyed Junco

Chipping Sparrow

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Western Wood-pewee

Vaux’s Swift

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Warbling Vireo

Black-headed Grosbeak

BUTTERFLIES

Pale Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)

Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius phoebus)

Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius)

Julia’s / Pacific Orange-Tip (Anthocharis julia)

greater fritillary, probably Mormon (Speyeria, probably mormonia)

Echo / Spring Azure (Celastrina echo)

Boisduval’s Blue (Icaricia icarioides)

Acmon or Lupine Blue (Icaricia acmon or lupini)

Greenish Blue (Icaricia saepiolus)

unidentified blue with a row of long, black marks on ventral side of wings

Snowberry or Anicia Checkerspot (Euphydryas colon or anicia)

Crescent, maybe Northern (Phyciodes, maybe cocyta)

FROG

Cascades frog (Rana cascadae)

Tronsen Ridge is a great wildflower hike and it's an excellent time to go, especially if you like Tweedy's Lewisia (a little is still to bloom, some is fading, there is a lot in bloom, photo 1). There are a huge variety of flowers blooming including: the fields of prairie smoke, bitterroot, lots of lupine, sitka and Wenatchee valerian, western clematis (photo 2 with a crab spider waiting for a pollinator), lots of snowbrush, a few species of larkspur and penstemon (photo 3), harsh and scarlet paintbrush, some thick areas of balsamroot remain (in a half mile section the balsamroot leaves were being decimated by a small plague of bigheaded grasshoppers, these plants live for decades,  I'm sure they'll be back), showy Jacob's ladder, Columbian lewisia, thread-leaf phacelia, and many, many more. The views are outstanding and ever-changing on this ridge-running trail. I'm always amazed at how few people are on this amazing trail, we saw 4 hikers and 0 dirt bikers on this sunny Saturday. The trail was extremely popular with the butterflies (photo 4). Controlled burns were performed last year. This didn't degrade the trail in the least. I'm guessing there will be mostly lupine in these spots, it will be interesting to watch. Many of the old stumps burned completely leaving holes with tunnels where the roots were. Links to my preferred route and parking location. 

Great day despite not being able to access the Tronsen Ridge TH from southern route. Previous trip reports from several weeks ago say people were accessing the trail from the northern TH (5 mile road and FS 7224) Reports said road was “rough and high clearance needed). WTA site says most people access trail from southern route off Blewett Pass at FS road 9716. Well not today, and probably not for at least another week until the snow berm with 18” ruts melts away. There are actually 2 areas of crusty slippery snow toward the end of the exposed section of road. Plus there are big rocks from the adjacent hillside embedded in the snow. One has 200 feet of foot deep washboard and the next is only about 50 yards but the ruts would have high centered my Sequoia or we would have slid down the 200 ft embankment. So…we backed up, did an 8 point turn, parked on a wide area of road and started walking.
We walked up road 9712 to the Table Mountain TH and walked along this ridge line taking several spur trails to Table Mountain and Tronsen Head for views north to Mt Stuart and the Stuart Range. This is an old burn area so many bleached burned trees are still standing and just as many were on the ground. The trail was easy to follow but we climbed over and around too many trees to count. Balsam root is just starting to pop up but purple small camus and glaciers lilies were in full bloom. We descended the ridge to the Ken Wilcox horse camp and made our way back to the road. We followed 9712 back to our car. Gaia said 9.4 miles and 1150 ft elevation.

My second time late April hike almost all off-trail up to Tronsen Ridge and Tronsen Knob from FR-7230.  On Hwy 97 drive over the Blewett Pass Crest and in less than a mile on the right will be the pulloff for FR-7230; go about 1 mile to the end of FR-7230 then start the hike uphill to Tronsen Ridge.  I drive this in my stock cargo van so high-clearance isn't required.  The ridge trail is sometimes covered by hard-packed snow drifts, just go around or over.

Amazing views to the West of Blewett Pass and Diamond Head and to the North of the Enchantments peaks.

GaiaGPS says 1800 ft elevation gain and 5.5 miles round-trip although it's almost all up-then-down so feels like more :-)  I can't wait to hike it again.

Fun day on Tronsen Ridge!  First time up there, and the views were incredible.  We didn't see another person all day long.  

Road:  The road was rough.  We started at the northern trailhead off Five Mile Road/FS Road 7224.  We had to stop a few times to move a few rocks out of the way.  The ground clearance on my car is 8.7 inches- I wouldn't try it with anything less than that.  There were a few puddles we drove through, and a few patches of snow we drove over.  I scraped on one patch of snow, but my guess is it will be gone soon.  Towards the end the puddles looked more like mini lakes.  We pulled over and parked 0.8 miles from the trailhead.

Trail:  Gorgeous!  Lots of downed trees and a few areas of snow to cross.  The snow was easy to navigate, but with the downed trees sometimes over the snow we had to stop and check in with GPS.  We got off route a few times.  Highly recommend downloading the map to consult.  We found route-finding skills to be necessary.  

As mentioned, we didn't see a single person all day.  No other cars on the road.  We made it a little over halfway to the ORV trailhead before we turned around- wind was picking up and we were watching a storm come in from over the Enchantments.  We both agreed the best views were headed South to North- if you are going to do a car drop and head one direction, that would be the direction to go.